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A Traip Academy Student's Arrest on Child-Molestation Charges Raises Concerns Among Parents.

Posted on: Sunday, 20 November 2005, 15:00 CST

By JEN FISH Staff Writer

The arrest of a 19-year-old Traip Academy student accused of sexually assaulting an elementary school pupil has Kittery school officials reviewing the district's safety procedures.

John Bill was arrested Oct. 28 on two counts of visual sexual aggression against a child and one count of unlawful sexual contact in an incident involving a 5-year-old student at Horace Mitchell Elementary School.

When news of the arrest surfaced in Kittery, some parents publicly criticized the school for not notifying parents earlier.

In response, the district issued a letter to parents that was sent home with each Mitchell School student Thursday.

"The safety and security of your children is a very serious matter for us and we feel it is important to stress that your children are safe in our school environment," the letter reads.

According to police, Bill was part of a group of older students watching the children of Mitchell School parents who were volunteering to build the K-2 school's new playground on Oct. 15, a Saturday.

The assault took place inside the school while the parents were out on the playground, police said.

Bill made an initial appearance in Springvale District Court on Oct. 31. He remained at the York County Jail until Nov. 12, when he posted $5,000 bail.

Bill's next court date is scheduled for Jan. 12, but because the charges he faces are felonies, he could be indicted by a grand jury in York County before that date.

Between the time the incident was reported and the date of his arrest - Oct. 15 to Oct. 28 - Bill continued to attend classes at Traip.

Superintendent Larry Littlefield said he was informed of the investigation every step of the way, and that he made a determination that "at that time we didn't have the grounds for proceeding with any disciplinary action" against Bill.

"It was my responsibility to determine whether or not it was in the best interests of everybody concerned to put out an alert (about the incident)," Littlefield added. "Legal counsel advised us it wouldn't be."

Bill's bail conditions prohibit him from being in contact with anyone under the age of 16, which bars him from attending classes at Traip Academy.

"His status for enrollment is under review," Littlefield said. He said he has received fewer than six phone calls about the matter, and not all of the calls were complaints.

"Everyone has been very understanding of the situation and were really looking for more information," he said.

Several parents said Friday they were satisfied with how the school district has handled the situation.

Leo Guy, who has two children enrolled at the school, said he trusts the school's judgment.

"I have full confidence in their ability to handle situations," he said.

Anne Gilbert, one of the chairpersons of the school's parent- teacher association, said she is not concerned about sending her son to the school.

She said she could understand parents' concerns but there are other factors to consider.

"I have the utmost respect for (Principal) David Foster and for that school and I think (administrators) were probably focusing their energies on the victim and the victim's family and that's what they should have done," she said.

Staff Writer Jen Fish can be contacted at 282-8229 or at:

jfish@pressherald.com

Source: Portland Press Herald

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